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Wicomico County council amends kennel rules, raises setback to 1,000 feet and adopts 3‑year sunset for some nonconforming uses
Summary
After public comment about noise and grandfathering, the council amended Legislative Bill 2025‑01 to raise the required kennel setback from dwellings to 1,000 feet (from property line) and added a three‑year sunset for certain nonconforming uses; the amended bill passed unanimously.
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — The Wicomico County Council on Feb. 4 amended and approved Legislative Bill 2025‑01, a zoning change that sets new standards for commercial kennels, raising the minimum setback for runs from dwellings to 1,000 feet measured from the property line and adding a three‑year sunset clause for nonconforming uses, the council said.
The bill, introduced for a public hearing at the meeting, originally proposed a 200‑foot setback. Residents who live near an unlicensed facility near Sharptown urged a longer distance and tighter grandfathering rules, saying noise and other impacts had reduced quality of life.
“My recording was taken from over three football fields away from these dogs, 1,170 feet,” resident Dan Beebe told the council during public comment, urging a 1,000‑foot minimum. “Distance where loud dogs are concerned needs to be a minimum of 1,000 feet.”
Other residents also…
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